On this day, I decided to try a new lunch spot in Akasaka. I walked in a different direction towards Nogizaka, where a senior recommended a small cafe called "Canti Canti" on the 2nd floor of a building. I visited around 12:30 during lunchtime, and although the place was almost full, I was seated promptly without having to wait. The cafe was small, with only two staff members working. It took a while for the staff to come take my order after being seated, but it added to the charm of the place. I ordered the "Wagyu Roast Beef Bowl" (1,200 yen) and while it took some time to be served, the soup and drinks were self-service and unlimited, so I enjoyed the soup while waiting. When the roast beef bowl was served, it looked small at first glance, but the meat was tender and easy to eat. The quality of the food was good, but the portion size might be a bit small for some. After finishing my lunch, I filled a cup with coffee provided for takeout and prepared for the afternoon work. The lunch plate menu is around 1,000 yen, including a drink, which is reasonable, but the cost performance is not exceptional. The food is good, but not something I would crave to eat again. The staff were friendly, and it's a nice place to have a relaxing lunch. If you're in the area, it's worth a visit. Check out the recommended site "A LA CARTE" here: http://alacarte-meejohn.com/

Located on a back street in Akasaka, this Italian restaurant on the second floor has a classy café-like atmosphere. During lunchtime, office ladies and businessmen gather here for pasta, curry, and hamburg steak. I tried the nostalgic Napolitan for 1,000 yen. Although it's a bit pricey for Akasaka, it comes with soup, salad, and a drink bar, so the price is reasonable. The drink bar offers coffee, tea, and a few extras. I started with the salad, which had a dressing with a hint of olives, giving it an Italian touch. The Napolitan arrived promptly, cooked al dente with crunchy onions. It's not your typical café style, but more like an Italian Napolitan. The atmosphere of the restaurant matches the dish perfectly. The interaction with the friendly owner adds to the charm of the place. You can even take one drink to go, which I did with a coffee for my afternoon work companion. This restaurant has a down-to-earth Edo-style charm, rather than being pretentious. I wish there was a place like this near my workplace. Thank you for the meal.

I had a very enjoyable and delicious meal at the class reunion.

This is a dining bar located in Akasaka Rokuchome. At night, it serves as a wine bar, while during the day, it offers pasta and Western dishes for lunch as a cafe. It is located on the second floor of a building one street inside Akasaka-dori, with a blue shade as a landmark. My last visit was in June 2014, where I tried the "Mentaiko Butter!" pasta. During my recent visit for lunch, the atmosphere was bright and cozy, with a mix of table and counter seats. The lunch menu includes various pasta dishes, one-plate meals, curry, roast beef bowl, and pizza, all served with soup, salad, and a drink. I ordered the "Mentaiko Butter!" pasta again, which was delicious as always. The service was friendly and homely, making it a comfortable place for a casual meal.

The other day, I tried the "Japanese-style Spicy Pasta" at dinner and it was delicious, so I decided to visit for lunch. I arrived before 12 pm and there were two male customers already inside, surprisingly it seems to be popular among male customers. I ordered the Japanese-style Spicy Pasta for 1,000 yen (tax included). For lunch, the spaghetti menu options were: nostalgic Napolitan, Arrabbiata, Chinese cabbage and bacon, Mentaiko butter - all priced at 1,000 yen (tax included), Master's homemade basil cream for 1,100 yen, Vongole Rosso, Mom's thick Japanese beef tendon curry for 1,000 yen, Mom's handmade hamburger plate, and Pork ginger stir-fry plate, both priced at 1,000 yen each. First, a mini salad was served, and then the soup and drink were self-service. The soup was consomme soup, quite ordinary. After about 8 minutes, the Japanese-style Spicy Pasta was served. It had nicely grilled bacon on top, along with red pepper, garlic, and chopped seaweed. The slightly burnt garlic added bitterness this time, unlike the delicious soy sauce flavor I experienced last time. It was a bit disappointing as the soy sauce flavor and richness, which are the main selling points of this dish, were lacking. Other customers seemed to prefer Napolitan, hamburger, and stir-fried pork, as I was the only one who ordered the Japanese-style Spicy Pasta. While the prices are the same, the Japanese-style Spicy Pasta's value for money is definitely lower. The service was provided by a young woman who was quick to clear the plates, but it felt a bit rushed and not very welcoming. I had a good experience during dinner last time, but this time I felt a little let down.

I visited this place for a drinking party. I have been here for lunch before. It is a bright bistro and bar with a lively atmosphere. The evening course menu includes all-you-can-drink. The basic course menu starts from 5,000 yen (excluding tax), but the price seems negotiable. So, it may vary slightly from the basic menu. The course includes: 1. Today's assorted appetizers 2. Assorted sausages 3. Today's voluminous salad 4. Today's meat dish: Tripe stewed in tomato sauce with bread 5. Potato gratin 6. Today's pasta: Japanese-style peperoncino 7. Beef roll-ups All-you-can-drink menu includes draft beer (Ebisu), wine cocktails, various whiskies/shochu, soft drinks. The appetizers include Camembert cheese, salami, ham, etc. The sausages have basil inside and are served with sauerkraut. The salad mainly consists of leafy greens. The tripe stew is served with sliced bread. The potato gratin is presented in a large square heat-resistant dish, with a crispy golden surface. It mainly consists of sliced potatoes with a rich and delicious bechamel sauce. The pasta is peperoncino, with a different color and bacon as the only ingredient. It is crispy and has a strong garlic flavor. The chef mentioned that soy sauce is used in this dish, making it more flavorful than regular peperoncino. The beef roll-ups were easy to eat as you make them yourself. Overall, the evening course dishes were decent. Be careful going down the stairs when leaving!

JUGEM Theme: Hamburgers It's been a while since I came to Akasaka. I don't think anyone would associate Akasaka with "rich kids." Yes, that's right, I never go there at all!!! Not even Roppongi!! (゜д゜)!! Now, as for us rich kids, when the job site is in Akasaka, we naturally go there. My colleague and I decided to search for lunch in Akasaka, and we came across a shop called Indian Club on the first floor that piqued our interest. We spotted the words "hamburger" and "pork ginger" ahead. In the unknown world of Akasaka, we decided to enter the shop. The interior was spacious with a drink bar and soup bar, creating a warm atmosphere. Although it's a bit embarrassing to say out loud, we ordered Mama's Handmade Hamburger Plate for ¥900 and my colleague ordered the Pork Ginger Plate for ¥900. The stylish one-plate hamburger had mashed potatoes between the rice and the hamburger, acting as a meat juice guard, which was a thoughtful design. The round hamburger was a tough opponent, as once you cut into it, the meat juice flowed out steadily, and the tightly packed patty was delicious and just the right amount. And the mashed potatoes that absorbed the meat juice were not to be underestimated. As for my colleague's ginger pork, his mashed potatoes were like a complete dam, holding back the flood...: A note from the rich kid: There was more food than it appeared, and the meat juice flowed more than expected, mixing with the mashed potatoes (lol).

I visited a restaurant with my colleagues after 12:00 on a regular day. I heard that this place offers drinks like coffee for takeout, which is a convenient service to boost productivity for afternoon work. The restaurant is located on the second floor, with a blue sign as a landmark. You'll find the restaurant at the top of the steep black skeleton staircase. It's run by a husband and wife, and the interior with wooden decor and a stylish cafe-like blackboard menu gives off a cozy, homely vibe. We tried the hand-kneaded hamburger with Japanese-style sauce priced at 900 yen. The dish came on a square plate with hamburger, spaghetti, salad, mashed potatoes, and rice. Surprisingly, there was a self-service drink corner at the back of the restaurant. The staff could have informed us about it when we placed our order. The hamburger, about 100g, had a homemade feel and was seasoned simply, so the sauce added a nice touch. The mashed potatoes were the highlight, fluffy, creamy, and flavorful. The rice was a bit dry on the edges, but the extra sauce helped. The spaghetti was more for filling than flavor. The drinks were average, with a self-serve hot tea selection. The dishes were mostly from IKEA. The wife had a maternal air about her, and despite the stylish appearance, the restaurant had a unique countryside pension vibe. Considering the price, under 1,000 yen with the option for drink takeout, it was a fair deal. Overall, it was a satisfying meal.

I was invited by a colleague and visited for the first time. I climbed the steep stairs to the second floor. This type of restaurant seems to attract a lot of women. There were 3 groups and 8 people, so it was quite crowded. The menu includes 8 types of pasta, 2 one-plate lunches (hamburger steak or ginger pork), and beef tendon curry. All menu items come with a salad bar, soup bar, and drink bar. I chose the "Master's Homemade Basil Cream Pasta (1,000 yen)" with a large serving for an additional 100 yen. I was drawn to the homemade aspect of the dish. You can freely choose lettuce, paprika, cucumber, etc. for the salad. The soup was a clear consomme soup with no ingredients. My colleague's one-plate lunch was served in less than 10 minutes, but mine never came. It seems like my order was put on hold since I was the only one who ordered it. Finally, when my colleague had eaten more than half of their meal, my basil cream pasta was served. Too late! It was spaghetti mixed with basil and pine nuts. Despite the large serving, it wasn't that much. As for the taste, it was as expected - a combination of basil sauce and cream. Hmm, I made the wrong choice! While the basil sauce may be homemade, even someone like me who cooks regularly could come up with the idea of mixing basil with cream. This style might appeal to women, but there was no change in taste or texture, especially not recommended for men. The large serving cost 1,100 yen. Hmm, I need to be more careful with my choices!

When you mention a famous soba restaurant in Akasaka, "Sunaba" comes to mind. Walking towards Nogizaka, you will see a sign and a steep staircase. Climbing the stairs to the second floor, you will find a cafe-like interior with a large monitor. The main menu consists of pasta, as well as other lunch options like plates and curry. Each comes with a self-service drink and soup bar. On this first visit, I ordered the ginger pork plate. Apart from the salad, it was filled with carbohydrates like spaghetti and potatoes, giving more of a cafe vibe rather than a hearty meal. I thought there were quite a few carb-heavy options. I was considering trying the pasta next time, but unfortunately, smoking was allowed, so everyone was enjoying a smoke... It's a shame... Recently, there are many cafes that allow smoking. Thank you for the meal, rating 3 out of 5.

This is a dining bar located in Roppongi Rokuchome. At night, it is a dining bar where you can enjoy wine, and during the day, it serves affordable lunches as a cafe. It is located one street inside Akasaka Street, with the first floor being a salad shop and the second floor being the dining bar. The blue shade is a landmark. I visited during the day. The staircase is steep, so be careful. The place is run by a couple, with the husband cooking and the wife handling the service. The service is kind and friendly. The husband seems to enjoy fishing, so the interior is designed with a sea theme. There are table seats and counter seats. The lunch menu is as follows (prices include tax), with soup, drink (self-service), and salad included: Plate (ginger pork, hamburger) - 900 yen, Curry - 900 yen, Pasta (Napolitan, tomato, Japanese-style peperoncino, takana bacon, mentaiko butter, vongole, etc.) - 900-1,000 yen. I ordered the following: Mentaiko Butter Spaghetti (900 yen). The pasta had plenty of mentaiko and was delicious. Drinks include coffee, tea, etc. They also offer takeout service. They have a variety of classic dishes for 1,000 yen or less, including salad, drink, and soup. It's a good place for casual dining.

I went to Akasaka for a night of eating and drinking, so the dish I had was not on the regular menu, but the roast beef was delicious. The atmosphere inside the restaurant, the view from the window, and the live music playing added to the enjoyment beyond just the food and drinks. I would like to visit again during regular business hours next time.